The present invention relates to a tail cone formed from a composite material. The tail cone has particularly utility on helicopters.
Conventional tail cones on helicopters are formed from metallic materials such as aluminum and aluminum alloys. As a result, these tail cones are heavy and expensive to produce. There is a need for tail cone assemblies formed from lightweight, inexpensive materials which have strength properties similar to, or better than, conventional metal tail cone assemblies.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tail cone which is lighter in weight and less expensive than conventional tail cone assemblies.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tail cone as above which has particular utility on helicopters.
The foregoing objects are attained by the tail cone of the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, a tail cone broadly comprises a monocoque shell formed from a composite material. The composite material preferably comprises a non-metallic matrix, such as an epoxy resin matrix, having fibers, such as graphite fibers, embedded therein. The fibers may be oriented along a single axis or along multiple axes. Other components of the tail cone assembly may also be formed from composite materials, which composite materials may be the same as or different from the composite material forming the shell.